Leicester City's bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League received a blow on Thursday with the announcement that goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel will be sidelined for around six weeks.

The 28-year-old Denmark international, son of former Manchester United goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel, broke a metatarsal bone in his foot during training on Thursday and will undergo surgery on Friday.

Asked how long he expected to be without Schmeichel, manager Nigel Pearson told a press conference: "I've got an idea. The best thing to do is update you (the press) on Saturday.

"Hopefully he'll have the operation on Friday and an optimistic view would be four to six weeks, but it could be longer. We don't know."

Pearson added: "It's very unfortunate. Clearly the lad is distressed about it and he will be a miss for us, but again, you have to deal with it. We can't change it."

Back-up goalkeeper Ben Hamer, 27, is in line to deputise for Schmeichel, starting with Saturday's home game against defending champions Manchester City.

Promoted as champions of the second-tier Championship last May, Leicester sit four points from safety at the bottom of the Premier League table after 15 games of the campaign.